Hundreds of faithful celebrated Eid al-Adha in White Plains Tuesday morning.
Muslims around the world, as well as the Hudson Valley, are celebrating Eid al-Adha.
Eid al-Adha, or feast of sacrifice, is considered one of the most important holidays for the Islamic people, and hundreds of faithful celebrated in White Plains this morning.
The holiday is in honor of the willingness of the prophet Abraham for sacrificing his son. Muslims believe just as Abraham was going to sacrifice his son, an angel stopped him and gave him a ram to sacrifice in place of his son.
The day is marked with the sacrifice of an animal, usually a sheep, goat or cow, and the meat is distributed among family members, the community and the poor. However, officials say it's more important to give up that which is not good for us.
"Today, we are supposed to sacrifice not just animals, but whatever is difficult for us to sacrifice - cigarettes, or any other form of addiction, or any other sort of thing which is difficult for us, which is dear to us, but is not really good for us. If we get into the habit of sacrificing, for our children, for our families, for our country,” says Khusro Elley, of the Upper Westchester Muslim Society.
The holiday also marks an end to the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, or the Hajj, which is performed each year by Muslims all over the world.